The Start of an Age
by AtLoLevad
Summary: Bucky is finally able to ask Carter out on a date. But, of course, things go awry.
1. Chapter 1

The text message said, simply, "ok"

If it had been any other person, any other time, Bucky would have been confused. He would have texted back, "what?" or "I don't get it"

But not this message.

No, Bucky perfectly understood the message that had his phone buzzing at 3 in the morning that October.

This was his permission.

He could finally ask Carter out.

He grinned down at the message, blue light glowing on his face.

The smile on his face fell though, a minute later.

Holy shit. He could ask Carter out.

How was he going to do this?

* * *

"I need advice," Bucky said, setting a decaf black tea in front of Natasha.

The redhead looked up at him, "With what?"

She popped the top off of the take-out mug and sniffed at the liquid, "I miss coffee."

Bucky sat down, "I will bring you a contraband Columbian roast if you give me advice."

Natasha's eyebrow raised, "Contraband coffee, huh? Against Clint's wishes."

Bucky shrugged, "No offense, but he doesn't scare me."

"He doesn't scare me either," Natasha laughed, "But sometimes I do like to listen to him."

Bucky threw his hands in the air, "Alright, I'll bring you that coffee ice cream you like so much. Just help me!"

"_Otchayanno_," Natasha clicked her tongue, "_Interesno_." (Desperate. Interesting)

"Natasha, I don't have time for this," Bucky groaned. He didn't want to wait too long to ask Carter out.

Natasha gestured at the files surrounding her, "And I am, technically, working on SHIELD's time. So, really, I don't have time for this."

Bucky resisted the urge to smack his head against the table, "Natasha, I will personally reimburse you for your time."

Natasha crinkled her nose, "I want you to promise me you'll babysit when Clint and I want to go out after the baby is born."

"What?" Bucky sighed, "I'll do one night!"

"_Skryaga_," Natasha pouted, but agreed. (Cheapskate)

"Good," Bucky nodded, glad their bargaining was done, "I need help figuring out how to ask Carter on a date."

Bucky did not like the evilly mischievous smile that spread across Natasha's face.

"A date!" she practically cackled, "This is your first date in almost 100 years!"

Bucky grunted. While that was technically true, he didn't actually want to verbalize it.

"Oh my god!" she rubbed her hands together, "I still can't believe you didn't let me help you. I'm a good matchmaker!"

"Steve told me all about your efforts," Bucky grinned, "But I managed to find this one all on my own."

Natasha tilted her head, "Not exactly. I mean, Liam and that dog did most of the work."

"I kept talking to her!" he protested.

"Semantics," Natasha waved her hand, "On to the date. Is it going to be casual or fancy?"

"I...don't know?" Bucky said slowly.

"You are not helping me," Natasha leaned back in her chair and rested her hand on her stomach, rubbing slow circles, "Is she they type who would like a fancy dinner. Or a hot dog in front of the park?"

Bucky thought for a minute, "Well, she'd probably like both. But I want to make our first date special. What was yours and Clint's first date?"

Natasha grinned, "We were sent to capture an arms dealer in Greece. Clint got stabbed and knocked out. I was shot. It was fun."

"You're crazy," Bucky shook his head, raking a hand through his hair. Maybe going to Natasha for help was a mistake.

"Maybe I am," Nat grinned, "But you still came to me for help."

"And you haven't helped me yet," Bucky pointed out.

"Just ask her. I'm assuming she won't say no if she likes you. Besides, you're not going to like, hire a sky writer," she shrugged, "The actual asking isn't important. It's if you two get along."

Bucky didn't answer, so Natasha leaned forward and rested her chin on her palm, "Do you get along?"

Bucky nodded, "We do get along. I like her a lot."

Natasha grinned, "Well, there you go. Just ask her."

Bucky pushed his chair away from the table, deep in thought.

"_Dobro_ _pozhalovat_," Natasha called after him. (you're welcome)

"You didn't help!" Bucky laughed, calling over his shoulder.

"You still owe me a night of babysitting!" she shouted back.

* * *

Bucky waited outside of Carter's apartment building.

He nervously tapped his metal fingers against the brick wall.

He was going to do it. He was going to ask Carter out.

Why did he feel like he was going to throw up?

Back in the 40s he was good with girls. Dates every night practically, women following him around.

But now? He could talk to Carter. But she seemed like the only one.

He'd tried to make connections with other women over the years, but nothing seemed to work.

Maybe it was the arm, or his diminished social skills, but he wasn't the ladies' man he used to be.

Or maybe he just hadn't found the right woman.

Carter came down the steps of her building, eyes on her phone screen and one hand looped around Bart's leash.

Bart started barking when he saw Bucky.

"Hey, crazy dog, shush. That squirrel is not scared of you," Bucky could hear Carter laugh.

"I don't know," Bucky said, "He's pretty menacing."

Carter grinned, "Yeah, if you're a dust bunny."

Bucky knelt down to rub at Bart's stomach. The dog flopped onto his back and let his tongue loll out of his mouth.

Carter shook her head, "He totally loves you. Bart doesn't fall asleep on the sidewalk for just anyone."

"I'm honored," Bucky laughed, "How are you?"

"Exhausted," she smiled, giving Bart's leash a little shake to get the dog to wake up, "Kindergarteners are like the Energizer Bunny on crack."

"Liam's loving your class though," Bucky said, "He thinks Miss Carter is the greatest."

Carter's eyes softened and she blinked, "Really? Aw, well I love the little munchkin too. He's so smart. He can read and write his name and count to six! Not all of my kids are that advanced."

"That's all on Kit. She's a psychiatrist. Big on education. Although Steve's no slouch himself," Bucky said, walking down the block.

"I can't wait to meet them at Parent's Night!" Carter laughed, "I'll be gushing about that smart little boy all night!"

"They'll love that. Steve has a million pictures of Liam on his phone and Kit is constantly videotaping things."

"They must be great parents. Liam is such a happy kid," Carter said, pulling gently on Bart's leash to get him away from some plants.

"Yeah, they are," Bucky paused, "Come on a double date and meet them."

Carter stopped in her tracks, "What was that?"

Bucky frowned, "Uh, will you go out with me?"

Carter smiled, amused, "That is so not what you said the first time."

Bucky laughed nervously, "Yeah it is."

Carter grabbed onto his arm, the metal one Bucky noticed, "Oh no! I heard you Barnes! You asked me out on a double date!"

Bucky winced, "Okay, so I asked you out on a double date."

Carter tried to hide her smile, "You are such a dork!"

"Okay, so what if I am?" Bucky smiled, "Are you going to come on the double date or not?"

* * *

**A/N: The long awaited Bucky and Carter first date story is here! Wahhooo!**

**So, first order, Natasha's Russian translations, in order, are "Desperate," "Interesting," "Cheapskate," and "You're welcome."**

**I loved writing the interaction between Nat and Bucky…Nat is especially fun to write. **

**This one is going to have, I think, two more chapters to it. **

**I have outfits for both couples up on my Polyvore account (pstdk), a poll open for Baby Girl Rogers' name on my profile, and my Tumblr (thewintersoldierdisaster) is always open for discussion and prompts **

**Enjoy! =)**


	2. Chapter 2

"You did WHAT?" Kit shouted, struggling off of the couch and trying to smack Bucky's chest.

Bucky caught Kit's hand, "I asked her out on a double date."

Steve snickered, "Really?"

Bucky turned to narrow his eyes at his best friend, "Yes, really."

"Why?" Kit wailed, her previous anger flipping to sobs, "I can't go out in public!"

She collapsed against Bucky's chest and the former soldier looked incredibly panicked.

"Steven!" He whispered frantically, patting Kit's back awkwardly.

Steve, still laughing, hurried forward and pried Kit away from Bucky, letting her lean against his chest.

"A double date, huh?" Steve laughed again.

Bucky groaned, "I don't know. I panicked!"

Kit sniffled, a smile spreading on her face, "I'm so happy she said yes! Liam can't stop talking about Miss Carter, I know we'll love her!"

Bucky let himself smile slightly, "So you'll come on the double date?"

Kit nodded, "Of course we'll come, if you need us there."

Steve looked down at his wife, "Ten seconds ago you were sobbing about having to go out."

"And now I'm not," Kit shrugged, "When is it?"

Bucky stared at Kit, baffled by her mood swings, and then he shook his head, "Friday night."

Kit's eyes widened, "It's Wednesday!"

Steve rubbed her back, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Friday is only two days away," she sighed, "I can't be ready by then!"

She broke free from Steve's grip and made her way, slowly, to her closet.

Steve and Bucky exchanged a look. What the hell was she doing?

She emerged from the closet ten minutes later, a dozen hangers gripped in her arms.

"Look at this!" She brandished the dressed at her husband and his friend.

Steve said slowly, "Kit, doll, what are we looking at?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks, "Dresses I can't fit into!"

She wailed, "I'm a whale!"

Steve pulled the dresses from her hands and tossed them at Bucky. Bucky grabbed them out of the air.

"Kit, honey, you can buy a new dress. I'm sure Nat or Maria will go with you," Steve ran his hands down Kit's arms and kiss the crown of her hair.

Bucky watched as Kit melted before his eyes, gripping onto Steve's biceps.

"Okay," she sighed, "I'm gonna find Natasha. Make sure Liam takes his nap."

She leaned up on her toes and kissed Steve softly, one hand curling around the hair at the nape of his neck.

"I'll see you later," Steve kissed her cheek. He handed Kit her purse and she left the bedroom.

"What the hell was that?" Bucky asked, as soon as he knew Kit was out of earshot.

"Mood swing," Steve shrugged, "They're worse than the ones she had with Liam."

Bucky patted Steve on the back, "Good luck, man."

"Thanks," Steve laughed, "They're getting more intense the closer we get to Baby Day."

"Baby Day, huh?" Bucky grinned.

Steve's face lit up, "Just a month to go!"

"You guys are excited, huh?" Bucky said, falling into step next to Steve.

The super soldier nodded, "Incredibly. But, let's not talk about the baby now. I want to know how you ended up asking Carter on a double date."

Bucky grumbled, "I panicked."

"Panicked?" Steve laughed, "I thought you were a big time ladies' man?"

"I was," Bucky raised an eyebrow, a sly grin appearing on his face, "And then I became a brainwashed assassin. My love life wasn't exactly on HYDRA's priority list."

"Stop pulling the HYDRA card," Steve hit Bucky with his shoulder, "You just can't admit that maybe you weren't such a great ladies' man back in the day."

Bucky punched Steve in the shoulder, "I was better with dames than you were."

"And yet, I'm the married one and you're the one asking a girl out on a double date," Steve grinned, dodging another punch.

"You're an ass," Bucky grumbled, punching the elevator button.

"But I'm your ass," Steve laughed cheekily.

"Nah," Bucky grinned, "You're Kit's problem now."

* * *

"Daddy," Liam appeared at Steve's elbow in the bathroom and patted his thigh.

"Yeah, buddy? What's up?" Steve murmured, his face staying in place while he dragged a razor blade over his skin.

"Is Mommy s'posed to by crying?" He asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Sh-oot!" Steve grunted, dropping his razor to the sink and scrambling back into their bedroom.

Liam was hot on his heels.

Steve knelt by the edge of the bed, "Kit, babe, what's wrong?"

A blob of shaving cream fell off of his face and onto the carpet.

But Steve didn't notice, not when Kit was sobbing into her hands.

"Nothing fits!" She wailed, "I can't gooooooo!"

Liam's eyes widened at his mom's hysterics. He shifted on the bed, as if he couldn't decide if he should stay or run as far as he could.

Steve moved to sit next to Kit on the foot of the bed, "Kit, you bought a great dress. Remember? It looked amazing on you."

She sniffled, "I don't know! It looks bad now."

Liam squirmed his way closer to Kit, "You can borrow my church clothes, Mommy! All my grown-ups say I look handsome in them."

Kit laughed, "Thank you, baby. That's very nice of you. But Mommy needs to wear a dress."

She ruffled Liam's hair, "Remember, you're staying with Auntie Nat and Uncle Clint tonight. Do you have all of your guys packed?"

Steve had packed some clothes and a toothbrush in a backpack, but Liam was supposed to be in charge of his entertainment.

When Liam fidgeted, but didn't answer, Kit nudged him off of the bed, "Go put your guys in the bag. Otherwise you won't be able to play."

Liam scrunched up his nose, but ran into his room.

Kit looked up at Steve, "Why haven't you shaved? We have to leave soon!"

Steve opened his mouth, but shut it before he could get himself into trouble, "Sure. I'll be ready in a minute."

Kit nodded and pushed down on his leg to get the leverage to stand up from the bed, "Did Bucky tell you which restaurant we're going to?"

Steve rested a hand on her lower back to give Kit more support, "Nope. I should probably find out."

Kit laughed lightly, all traces of her tears gone, "Probably. Go get ready and talk to your friend."

She patted his cheek and moved to pull her new dress from its hanger.

Steve stood in the bathroom doorway for a minute, making sure Kit was on an upswing.

She pulled the dress over her swollen stomach with no tears, "Steve, honey, come zip me up?"

"Gladly," he said, zipping the dress. Steve let his hands drift and wrap around her growing baby bump, "You look beautiful."

She snorted, "Not at all, but you're sweet."

"But you do," Steve protested, kissing the side of her neck. Kit squealed when the cold shaving cream on Steve's cheeks transferred to her neck.

"Sorry," Steve laughed, "Wiping the foam from her skin and then into the towel at his waist.

She sighed, "I'm just ready for her to be here."

"Just another month," Steve couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.

Kit nodded, "If she waits that long. Liam was born two weeks early, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Steve laughed, "Besides, she'd better hold off at least a week, otherwise Liam's going to have to share his birthday. And we both know how well that'll go over."

Kit's eyes widened comically and she tilted her head so she could direct her next comment at the baby, "You stay in there until your due date. Your big brother is not going to want to share a birthday."

Steve laughed at his wife, "I'm going to finish up."

She nodded, sifting through the jewelry box on her dresser.

Twenty minutes later Steve and Kit could hear a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Liam screamed.

"It is Sergeant Barnes, Liam," JARVIS responded.

Steve headed into the living room just in time to see Liam scramble to pull open the door.

"Uncle Bucky!" he yelped, throwing his body at his uncle.

"Hey, pal," Bucky hefted Liam up onto his shoulder, but his voice sounded strangled.

"Mommy and Daddy are coming with you, right?" he asked, fingers playing with the untied tie hanging from Bucky's neck.

Bucky looked over at Steve, eyes frightened, "I hope they are, kid."

Steve nodded, "We're coming, don't worry."

Steve pulled Liam from Bucky's arms, "Go make sure your bag is packed. As soon as Mommy is ready, we're taking you down to your aunt and uncle."

Liam sighed, "I wanna come! I wanna see Carter."

Bucky grinned, "If tonight goes well, you'll be seeing more of Carter."

Liam crinkled his nose; he had no idea what his uncle was talking about. So he wiggled out of his dad's grip and threw his body on the couch.

But Steve did, "You think she's it?"

Bucky nodded, "I hope so."

"We're going to have to make this the greatest double date in history," Steve grinned, "Not like those disasters you dragged me on back in the day."

"Those weren't my fault!" Bucky laughed, thinking about the disastrous dates he had been on.

Steve rolled his eyes, "Cause they were my fault."

"You said it, not me," Bucky shrugged.

"Ass," Steve muttered.

"I hope you're not cursing in front of my baby," Kit said, waddling out of the bedroom, one hand on her stomach and one resting against her lower back.

"Never," Steve lied smoothly, grabbing Kit's oversized black purse from off her shoulder.

"I don't believe you, Captain," Kit laughed, happily relinquishing her purse.

She rounded on Bucky next, "You look so handsome! Perfect for your first date. Your tie is untied."

Bucky lifted the ends of the black fabric, "I...uh... kind of forgot how to tie one. It's been a while."

Kit smiled softly, "It's a good thing you're here then. I'm an expert at tying ties."

She tugged on the fabric, forcing Bucky to stoop down a little so she could have a better reach.

With a few flips of her hand, Kit had the fabric knotted and straightened.

"There," she grinned, "Perfectly presentable."

Bucky ran his fingers over the knot, "Thanks, Kit."

She nodded.

"Are you both ready to go?" Steve asked looking at his watch, "Buck still has to pick up Carter. And we have to get the pipsqueak set up."

Kit nodded, "I'm ready. Bucky, you should go ahead. We'll be slow."

"You mean, you'll be slow," Steve laughed, kissing the top of Kit's head.

Kit elbowed Steve's side, "You're so mean to your poor pregnant wife."

Bucky grinned at their familiar bickering, "Let's go. You two can take shots at each other later."

Kit held onto Bucky's arm as Steve gathered up Liam and all of the almost 5-year-old's overnight accessories.

"We weren't taking shots at each other," she said, "It's all friendly teasing."

Bucky spotted her and laughed, "Teasing, huh?"

She nodded, "You'll see. One day with Carter."

"I hope so," Bucky said, guiding Kit into the waiting elevator.

His best friend's wife patted his arm, "You will. If anyone deserves happiness, it's you."

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 2! I wanted to get this out to you guys because I've literally not started the actual date scene yet and I'm not sure how long t's going to take and I wanted to give you guys something to read. **

**We're heading into the last week of summer vacation for me, and once school starts, I'll be kind of busy. I'm going to try to keep updates to at least once a week, but sometimes it might not happen.**

**I'm loving writing this series, so come hell or high water, I will finish it. =)**

**As always, my inbox here and on Tumblr is open to prompts. =) Have a great day, guys!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Wow," Bucky was speechless.

Carter blushed red and looked at her nude pumps, "Thanks."

Bucky did a great impression of a fish for a good fifteen seconds.

"I...uh, you look unbelievable," Bucky held his hand out to Carter. She took it and he helped her down the stairs.

Carter chewed on the inside of her cheek and smiled, "You don't look so bad yourself, soldier."

Bucky laughed, "Nothing compares to you."

He glanced appreciatively at Carter's figure hugging, strapless maroon dress, her bare legs and shoulders, all while thanking God for the abnormally warm October night they were having.

"Flatterer," Carter grinned, gripping Bucky's hand a little tighter.

"I only tell the truth," Bucky grinned, enjoying the way Carter's hand felt in his, the way her hair swished and brushed his shoulder.

"Oh so truth telling is now a skill they teach in the Howling Commandos?" Carter teased, brushing her thumb over the back of Bucky's hand.

Bucky shrugged, "I don't like being lied to, so I don't lie."

"Good philosophy," Carter mused, grinning slyly, "I guess that means I shouldn't ask you if my pants make my butt look big unless I want a real answer."

Bucky burst out laughing, "Hey, if you want me to lie, I'll lie."

Carter regarded him with a critical eye, "Does this dress make my butt look big?"

Bucky grinned and impulsively stooped down to kiss her cheek, "Not at all."

"Good answer," Carter giggled, knocking his hip with hers, "So, where are we going?"

"21 Club," Bucky answered, throwing his free hand into the air, "Which means we're getting a cab."

Carter watched as Bucky struggled to hail a cab, "Have you ever done this before?"

"Yeah," Bucky grunted, "Cabbies were a little different in the 40s. And now I mostly walk or take the train."

Carter stepped forward and whistled through her teeth, an ear splitting noise that threatened to pop Bucky's eardrums.

A cab screeched to a stop a few feet up the block.

Carter really tried to smother the smug little smile that was forming on her face.

"You're the worst," Bucky laughed, shaking his head.

"If by 'worst,' you mean best, then yes. Yes I am," Carter said, sliding into the cab's backseat.

* * *

Bucky looked at his watch, "I wonder where they are?"

Carter rested her fingertips lightly on his arm, "I'm sure they're okay. I mean, Steve is Captain America."

Bucky nodded tightly, "Sorry, I just worry about them. Steve was, uh, not what you'd call born with a self preservation instinct."

Carter laughed, "Really? I always assumed he was getting Bad Boy James Barnes out of trouble."

Bucky deadpanned, "Exactly. That was it. He pulled me away from dozens of alleyway fights."

"Well then," Carter returned the deadpan, "How could you even think about putting poor, innocent Steve into those kinds of situations?"

A new voice joined the conversation, "I really hope you're not talking about my Steve. Because he is very far from innocent and usually gets into messes all on his own."

The aforementioned Steve pulled out a chair on the side of the table opposite from Carter and Bucky before helping Kit lower herself into it.

Carter smiled, "You must be Katherine."

"Call me Kit. Everyone does, well, everyone in New York," Kit laughed, shrugging off her coat and draping it over the back of her chair.

"Kit, of course. It's nice to meet you," Carter held her hand out over the table and shook Kit's hand, "Carter Davis."

"Oh, we know all about you Carter," Steve piped up, grinning slyly, "You've got our son and my best friend charmed. The way Liam talks, you'd think that you invented play time."

Carter's cheeks went pink, "Oh!"

Bucky aimed to kick Steve under the table, but clipped Kit's shin.

"Ow!" She grimaced, "Bucky!"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, elbowing Carter when she started to laugh, "So what took you guys so long? We already ordered drinks."

"And we had to shoo the waiter away twice," Carter added helpfully.

Kit winced, "Sorry about that. We were on the way here, but minor crisis."

Bucky said in a stage whisper, "See, what did I tell you? Steve is always getting into problems."

"Joke's on you," Steve said, "This crisis was all on Liam."

"Oh, even better," Bucky smiled, "He's blaming his four-year-old now."

Even Kit laughed at that.

"Anyway," Steve continued, a faux-annoyed look on his face, "We were, what? Three blocks away?"

Kit nodded.

"Three blocks away, and then Clint calls. Freaked out."

Kit sighed, "He was being a little ridiculous."

"What happened?" Carter leaned forward, curious about the inner workings of the Avenger family.

Kit rolled her eyes, "I don't know what Liam is like in class, but at home he's a drama queen."

"Oh, in class he's so well behaved. Honestly, I was going to tell you what a great job you were doing with him on Parents' Night," Carter laughed.

"Maybe if you're around the Tower more, we'll see that side of Liam," Steve laughed.

"So why was Clint freaking out?" Bucky asked, curious as to where this story was going.

"Right," Steve said, "We told Nat and Clint to give Liam a bath right away, that way he might fall asleep early and not give them problems. Well, problem was Natasha had bubble bath that the kid hated."

"Intensely hated," Kit sighed, "Who knew lilacs caused such a strong reaction in the kid."

Carter giggled, "When I was a kid I hated the smell of baked chicken. It drove my mom nuts."

Bucky hit her knee with his, "That's really weird."

She shrugged, "I'm kind of weird."

"You'll fit right in," Steve said, "Kit here thought she was took normal for this group, but she's really weird too."

Kit grumbled, and snatched a piece of bread from the basket, "I'm not weird. You're weird."

Steve grinned and stretched his arm so his hand rested against Kit's neck, "Of course I'm weird, baby. I spent 70 years in ice."

Carter's eyes widened, "Sorry, it's just...obviously I know about what happened to you, but I didn't think if ever hear you talk about it so nonchalantly."

Steve's thumb massaged the back of Kit's neck as he spoke, "If I didn't joke about it and learn to let it go, I'd be a real fucking mess."

"And trust me, they're all messes already," Kit smiled softly, relaxing as Steve massaged the tension from her neck, "I should know, I have a psychology degree."

Bucky was content to sit back and watch his best friends interact with his Carter. He loved that they were getting along.

"Yeah," he supplied, "Kit uses her doctorate against us all the time. She spout psycho-babble at us whenever she can."

"Which is all the time," Steve finished.

Carter laughed and Kit pinched Steve's thigh.

Carter went to talk, but Kit's phone let out a chime.

"Oooh sorry! God, I'm sorry," the blonde fumbled in her purse for her phone. She looked at the display and groaned.

Steve immediately looked over her shoulder, "Liam's okay, right?"

She nodded, "I'm more worried about Clint and Natasha at this point. He had a melt down because he brought Iron Man and The Hulk with him."

Carter raised an eyebrow at Bucky, mouthing, "Iron Man and The Hulk?"

Bucky nodded, "Action figures. He picks one or two to carry around every day."

"Oh," Carter said, "I wonder why I haven't seen these guys yet."

"Oh you will," Bucky laughed before turning back to Steve and Kit, "What's wrong with Iron Man and Hulk?"

"Nothing," Kit sighed, "He's just informed his poor aunt and uncle that he desperately needs his Cap and Winter Soldier figures."

Bucky tried not to feel a surge of pride at being the action figure Liam wanted tonight.

Steve groaned, "We really need to figure out a better system for this."

Kit scowled, "I'm not taking away his guys. He's already anxious about the baby. I won't mess with him more."

Steve rubbed her shoulder, "I didn't say that. But maybe we should have a set for him to take when he's not in the house."

Kit sighed and then looked up, "Oh damn, we've been the worst double date so far. All we do is talk about our kid."

"Oh I don't mind," Carter laughed, "I really do love Liam. And honestly, I'm not that interesting."

"I'm sure you are," Steve said, "We really do talk about things other than our son."

"Barely," Bucky laughed.

"I'm just going to tell Natasha to head up to our floor and grab the toys," Kit said, tapping away on her phone.

"And now I'm done," she dropped the phone back into her bag and rested her chin on her palm, "Tell us about yourself."

"Well," Carter started, "I'm the youngest of four girls..."

* * *

"Stop, I can't believe you did that!" Kit was cracking up, one hand wrapped around her stomach.

Carter grinned, "Annie was a bitch," she said by way of explanation, "Actually, she still is, kind of."

Steve was grinning, "So you put Nair in her shampoo?"

"It does sound a little over the top, doesn't it?" Carter giggled.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," Bucky teased, draping his arm around the back of her chair, "I might wake up without eyebrows."

In the next second Carter and Bucky both blushed, realizing the full implications of Bucky's innocent statement.

Kit and Steve shared a knowing look. Bucky was definitely all in.

"Um, in my defense I was 10," Carter tried to protest, spearing an asparagus on her fork.

"When I was 10, I ran away," Kit said, cutting her veal chop.

Steve's head swiveled to look at his wife in disbelief, "You ran away? Why am I just learning about this now?"

Kit giggled, "Because I packed three Barbies in a backpack and a peanut butter sandwich and hid in my tree house until it got dark. I cried because I couldn't see the ladder anymore and my dad had to rescue me."

Steve and Bucky snorted on their food and Carter laughed gently.

"Kit, no offense, but you can definitely tell that you grew up in Connecticut," Bucky teased.

She shrugged, "I'm not denying it. But I've spent so much time in Manhattan that I consider myself a New Yorker, and I won't hear any arguments to the contrary."

She mock glared at the men and they both held hands up in surrender.

"Wouldn't dream of arguing with you," Bucky said, winking.

"Good," Kit said, "So, Carter, what drew you to our very special James Barnes here?"

Steve's phone buzzed in his pocket before Carter could answer. He pulled it out and looked at the display.

Barton.

Not wanting to worry Kit if it was something about Liam, he kissed her cheek, "I'm going to take this. I'll be right back."

Kit nodded, a crease forming between her eyes, but as soon as Steve walked away, she was back and involved in conversation with Carter.

* * *

Steve leaned against the wall in the front of the restaurant, "Clint? Is Liam okay?"

Clint chuckled (nervously? Steve wasn't sure) on the other end, "Oh yeah, yeah. He's fine. Great."

Steve narrowed his eyes, "Are you sure?"

"Uh-huh. Yeah. Totally."

"Then why are you calling? It's not another action figure meltdown, is it?" Liam really should've been asleep by this point. It was quarter to nine.

"No, uh, no action figure meltdown. Nat got the ones he wanted, we're good," Clint's voice was almost an octave higher than normal.

"Then why are you calling?" Steve sighed.

"Nat and I..." Clint broke off and Steve could hear Natasha shouting something, "Uh, that is, I was wondering, do you use SHIELD's insurance policy?"

Steve's antennae immediately went up, "Yeah, why?"

"You don't supplement it with anything else?" Clint asked, and then he covered the receiver and whispered something to Natasha.

"Clint, what the hell is going on?" Steve was getting annoyed.

"Nothing. Just for a reference, you guys usually go to which ER? Lenox Hill?" Clint was sounding more nervous.

"Yeah," Steve said slowly, "Now tell me what the fuck is going on."

"There was a minor...incident," Clint said slowly, "But Nat and I have it handled."

Steve's heart plummeted to his stomach, "What happened to Liam?"

The words came out in a rush, as if by saying them faster, all would be solved, "There was an accident and he fell and Nat thinks he possibly broke his arm and there might be a concussion but Nat doesn't think so and we're just going to run him to the ER, don't worry, have fun on your date. Bye."

There was a dial tone in his ear and Steve resisted the urge to crunch to phone to pieces in his fist.

"Dammit, Clint," he growled, pocketing the phone and hurrying back to the table.

He rested his hand on Kit's shoulder and she broke off mid sentence to look up at him.

"Who was it?" she asked.

"Clint," he winced, "Liam's okay, but they think he broke his arm."

Kit moved faster than Steve had seen her move in weeks.

"Where? What happened? I'm going," she struggled into her coat, walking away from the table.

Steve turned an apologetic look onto Carter and Bucky, "I'm sorry. You guys stay and finish up. Buck, I'll settle the bill with you tomorrow."

He grabbed Kit's purse from under the table and ran after his wife.

Bucky and Carter stared after the married couple, slightly shell shocked at the speed at which Kit and Steve had run out.

"I...ah... not sure what just happened here," Bucky said.

Carter shook her head, "I hope the little guy's okay."

"He's skinny, but he's tough," Bucky said, "I'm more worried about what Kit'll do to Clint and Natasha for letting her baby get hurt under their watch."

Carter laughed, "It's hard to imagine anyone being scared of Kit. She's so petite and blonde."

"And fucking terrifying, when she needs to be," Bucky said, "Don't underestimate her."

"Noted," Carter said, leaning back so the waiter could take her plate, "Dessert? I hear they make an amazing chocolate cake here."

Bucky nodded, "I'd like that. And I want to hear more about your family."

Carter chewed on her red lipsticked lips, "My family is...my family."

Bucky, sensing her unease, leaned in, "You don't have to talk about them if you don't want to."

Carter shrugged and leaned into his side, "You might as well hear about them..."

* * *

Bucky really tried. He tried so hard to stay in the moment with Carter.

But he couldn't.

Not when Liam was hurt.

He tried to surreptitiously check his phone for updates, but there were none.

Carter noticed, "You know...we don't have to stay. We can go see how Liam is."

Bucky shook his head, "Nah, it's okay. I'll hear all about it tomorrow. This is our first date. I don't want to cut it short."

Carter rested her hand against his neck, playing with a piece of his hair, "That's sweet. But I know you're worried. And we'll have more dates. I know you want to see Liam."

Bucky really did want to see his nephew.

"It's fine, really," Bucky tried to insist.

"You're cute," Carter said, "The way you think I believe you."

She held her hand up and gestured to the waiter, "Check, please."

Bucky was protesting, "Carter, stop. We should finish the date."

"Oh be real, Barnes. The date was over as soon as Steve got that call. You want to make sure Liam is okay; I want to make sure Liam is okay. So let's go."

Bucky paid the bill and Carter grinned as he stood up and took her hand.

"You know, once we make sure Liam is okay, we can finish this date someplace else," she said, tucking her body against his side.

Bucky loved the feel of her body against his.

"Promise?" He laughed.

"I never lie," she laughed.

"That's my line," Bucky said, poking her in the side.

Carter squirmed, "Stop it, I'm ticklish."

Bucky filed that information away for another day and hailed a cab, whistling through his teeth like Carter had hours ago.

"Looks like an old dog can be taught new tricks," she mused, before shrieking and sliding into the cab when Bucky dug his fingers into her sides.

* * *

**A/N: And the first date has happened. I still have one more chapter to go on this one, the aftermath of Liam's minor accident. **

**But Bucky and Carter are very much on the way to being an established couple. To be honest, while I was writing this, I was worried that they seem too close already. But when I think about their timeline, I realized that they have known each other for several months now, and have been friends that entire time. I think it works that they're comfortable with each other. **

**So, as usual, I'm beyond floored by the really amazing reviews I'v been getting for this series and I love each and every one. **

**My inbox is always open to prompts of any kind, and see you for the next installment =)**


	4. Chapter 4

Bucky tried not to pull on Carter's arm as he led her through the emergency room doors of Lenox Hill hospital, but he did anyway. He wasn't sure how long Steve and Kit had gotten to the hospital before them, but he needed to know what had happened.

"Bucky," Carter said, trying to keep up with the super soldier but failing miserably, "He'll be fine. We don't have to run so fast."

He heels clacked unevenly on the floor, and she was pretty sure that her left foot was slipping from the shoe.

Bucky looked back at Carter and noticed the difficulty she was having.

"Sorry," he said, slowing his pace, "I'm just..."

Scared.

The word caught in his throat, but Carter knew.

She squeezed his fingers and smiled gently, "It'll be okay. He's fine."

Bucky nodded stiffly, "He reminds me so much of Steve. So damn much. Steve was terrible at staying in one piece, and Liam has that same streak of fearlessness."

Carter nodded, "And you don't want Liam hurting like Steve used to."

Bucky didn't answer; his mind was in a different time, thinking about all the scrapes Steve had gotten into, thinking about how much Liam really was like his father in so many ways.

Carter squeezed his fingers again, "Come on, you can't stand here and brood all night."

"I wasn't brooding," Bucky protested, letting Carter pull him into the ER's waiting room.

"Yes you were," she laughed, searching the crowded area for a familiar face.

"You said Natasha was a redhead, right?" She asked, trying to remember what Bucky had told her about his Tower-mates.

Bucky nodded and a second later she caught a flash of red hair and directed her path accordingly. Bucky followed dutifully, keeping his eyes trained on the back of Carter's head; he didn't want to see what else was happening in the ER.

"Natasha," Bucky's voice was slightly strangled when came to a stop in front of the woman and said her name. Carter slipped to the side, letting Bucky take control since she hadn't actually met Natasha.

"Bucky!" The red head jumped up from the hard plastic seat as quickly as she could with her large belly, "Why are you here? I didn't think you'd come…"

"We were out with Kit and Steve," he said, "Liam...what happened?"

There was a growl from a few feet away and the three adults turned to look.

Steve had cornered Clint, "You let my son fall from the counter? Why the fuck weren't you watching him?"

Clint scowled back and held up his hands, trying to get some space in between him and Steve, "Right, because I pushed him off the counter. I doubt even you can watch him every second."

Bucky winced, "Bad move."

Steve was fiercely protective, especially of his wife and son. Clint couldn't have known since Steve didn't talk about it, but Steve still held onto so much guilt from the war and from the lives lost there and during HYDRA's attack on D.C. Clint's unintended insult had cut deep.

Steve's eyes went hard and he straightened his back. His voice cold, he said, "I don't let him stand on the counter to begin with. And if I did, I would be watching him."

"I didn't want him to get hurt," Clint said, his anger dissipating, "Believe me, that was the last thing I wanted."

Steve scrubbed a hand over his face and blew out an angry breath of air. His shoulders twitched as he created a mental image of Liam falling from the counter. Unsurprisingly, the mental image blurred with the memory of Bucky falling from the train.

He stormed away from Clint and pushed through the double swinging doors, intent on finding his wife and son.

Clint sighed and made his way back to Natasha, Bucky and Carter.

Natasha reached for his hand, "He's not angry at you, not really."

Clint grunted, "It's fine. If he needs to use me as a verbal punching bag, I don't care. I'm just as angry with myself for letting Liam get hurt," he paused and looked at Carter, "Who are you?"

"Carter Davis," she said, "Um, I was out with Bucky."

Clint nodded, "Right, right. Sorry. Nice to meet you."

"Sorry it's like this," Natasha grinned wryly, pulling her hair off of her face and into a ponytail, and gesturing to her yoga pants and a graphic t-shirt that had to have belonged to her husband, "We're normally much better dressed."

Carter smiled, "Well I'm normally less dressed up, so I think we're even."

Bucky shifted and let his arm rest around Carter's waist, "So, what actually happened? Steve looked pretty pissed off."

Natasha and Clint shared a look and they both sighed, seemingly having an entirely silent conversation.

Natasha sat down, one hand resting on her stomach, "I just want to preface this story by saying that I only looked away for a minute."

Bucky took a seat next to Natasha and Carter wedged in between Bucky and the wall.

"Everything was fine up until it happened," Clint said, "Well, other than the bubble bath thing and the action figure thing."

Natasha cut in, "There was the airborne macaroni."

"Right," Clint nodded, "Airborne macaroni. Anyway, we were just hanging out, playing with the action figures, watching some cartoons. And you know Liam, attention span even shorter than he is."

Bucky and Carter both nodded.

"We know that very well," Carter said, looking over at Bucky.

"Exactly. So that stuff doesn't occupy him for long, and he decides he wants me to tell him a story," Clint grimaced, and Bucky figured that this was where the night went bad.

"Of course, Clint barely knows any stories. And after he mangled Aladdin," Natasha shook her head, "Liam just told him to make something up."

"How do you mangle Aladdin?" Carter wanted to know.

Natasha snorted as Clint growled, "That's not the point."

"He believed that the animal sidekick in this Disney Classic was a lemur named Abe."

Carter clapped a hand over her mouth to smother her laughter, and even Bucky grinned, amused despite the situation.

"A lemur? In the Middle East?" Carter asked through her laughs.

Clint narrowed his eyes at his wife and made to flick her arm. He was undeterred when she grabbed his fingers, giving them a gentle twist.

"That was supposed to be a secret, Nat," he pouted, pulling his fingers from hers.

Natasha laughed, a deep, throaty sound that Clint loved, "Secrets like that are meant to be shared."

Clint grunted, "It makes me look like an idiot."

Natasha's hand slid to his thigh and squeezed, "It doesn't make me love you any less though."

"Gee, thanks," Clint sighed, "I broke my nephew, Captain freakin' America is pissed at me, but my wife loves me even though I'm an idiot."

Natasha took her hand from his thigh and crossed her arms, "I could always put a pillow on the couch for you."

"I...uh the bed's fine," Clint said.

"Are we actually going to find out what happened to Liam sometime today?" Bucky grumbled, shifting so Carter could get slightly more comfortable.

Bucky's movement only served to get Carter more on his lap and Bucky tried very desperately not to think about her warm body pressed against a certain ...part of his body.

He resisted the urge to fidget and hoped Carter couldn't feel him under her.

Clint had continued to tell the story as Bucky shifted, "And he's bouncing from the floor to the furniture screaming at me to "get away you sea giant!" and we're play-hitting each other with pillows. He climbs up onto the back of the couch, laughing and screaming about how the ocean dwarves were gonna beat me."

"Ocean dwarves?" Carter whispered into Bucky's ear, sending a shiver down his spine.

"It's Clint," he whispered back, by way of explanation.

"And in our place, the couch is pushed up near the kitchen counter, so he's climbing onto the counter, bouncing around. The next thing I know, a tap from the pillow sends him flying and he hit the floor before I could grab him," Clint finished miserably.

Carter reached out to pat his arm sympathetically, "It doesn't sound like it was your fault. Accidents happen to everyone."

Clint looked up, "You I like. I tried to explain that it was an accident. But, damn, Kit looked at me like I killed her puppy."

Natasha tilted her head and looked at Clint, "It is a natural reaction. Imagine if Steve or Kit let our malyshka fall from something."

Her hand was resting on her stomach and she tapped against it with one finger, "You'd be furious, wouldn't you?"

Clint nodded, and reluctantly admitted that he would be furious.

"So give them a little bit. As soon as they see that Liam is fine, they'll forgive you," she said, standing up and stretching her back.

"Don't you mean 'us'? You were there too," Clint pointed out, eyes roaming appreciatively over Natasha's pregnancy curves.

Natasha laughed again, "I'm so not taking responsibility for this. He was supposed to be listening to a story in bed, not running around the house smacking you with pillows."

The ER room doors swinging open cut off Clint's retort. The four adults immediately looked over and relaxed when they saw Kit, Steve and Liam walk out.

Because the room was so crowded, Steve moved in front of Kit and barreled his way through the throngs of people.

"How is he?" Bucky asked as soon as Steve was within earshot.

Steve adjusted Liam in his arms, "He's okay. No concussion, thank God."

Liam raised his head from Steve's shoulder and blinked blearily. He saw his aunt and uncles and Carter and smiled crookedly. Raising his left arm, he waved it in the air and said, "Imma Hulk now."

The cast was bright green and apparently heavy since Steve winced when it clocked him on the temple.

Kit reached up from behind Steve and rubbed at his temple a little, "Yeah, baby, you're just like the Hulk now."

Liam yawned and dropped his head to Steve's shoulder, snuggling close to his dad. Steve's arms tightened instinctively around his son.

"I'm glad he's okay," Clint said, carefully avoiding looking Steve in the eye.

Steve didn't say anything, but Bucky say Kit dig her finger into his lower back.

"Right," Steve said, voice low, "I'm…sorry for attacking you, Clint. I know you wouldn't purposely let Liam get hurt."

"I'm sorry too," Kit said, "It wasn't fair of me to yell at you like that."

Clint shook his head, "It's fine. I don't blame you guys. I should've been watching him more closely."

Steve smiled slightly, "Its impossible to keep an eye on this kid 100% of the time. Too much energy in him."

"We call him Mayor of Kindergarten," Carter piped up, "He's constantly bouncing form seat to seat to talk to his friends."

Kit and Natasha laughed, agreeing that Liam was definitely a talker.

"N'more talkin' 'bout me," Liam muttered, hitting Steve's chest with his non-plastered hand.

The adults laughed, and Steve rubbed his back, "You got it, pal. Close your eyes and try to sleep. You've had a long day."

"N'sleep," Liam sighed, "Wanna hear more 'bout giants and 'warfs."

"Yeah, that," Kit said, "Can you explain to us why he keeps talking about giants and dwarves?"

Natasha laughed, "This I can't wait to hear."

"How about I tell you on the way back home?" Clint suggested, "I know I want to get out of here."

He reached down and pulled Natasha to her feet, helping her into her jacket before taking hold of her hand.

Steve and Kit agreed. The two couples began walking to the exit, Clint reluctantly beginning his story about sea giants and ocean dwarves.

Carter began to walk after them, but Bucky caught hold of her hand, "Do you want to go walk around for a little bit?"

Carter nodded, "We could have some drinks at my place."

"I'll see you guys later," Bucky said, "I'm going to walk Carter home."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Clint laughed, winking.

Bucky flipped him off, "Go away, would ya?"

* * *

"I really don't think this is necessary," Carter protested, laughing.

Bucky was squatted in front of her, waiting for her to grab onto his neck so he could piggyback her the rest of the way to her apartment.

"Come on," he laughed, "Your feet hurt and we're only four blocks away. I've carried heavier things."

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" Carter teased, enjoying the way Bucky stuttered over his backtracking.

"Forget it," she laughed, "If I climb up, people behind me are going to get the show of their lives. My dress is short and tight."

"Alright," Bucky stood up and pulled off his suit jacket, "Here you go. I'm taller than you, so this should keep you pretty covered."

Carter took the jacket gently and fingered the warm fabric, "I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

Bucky grinned down at her, "Not a chance, doll."

Carter raised and eyebrow and slipped her arms into the black jacket, "Doll, huh? Gotta say, it's kind of cute. But maybe a little outdated?"

"Point taken," Bucky said, kneeling again so Carter could get a good grip on him.

He stood up suddenly and she squealed, clamping her arms around his neck tighter.

"You okay?' Bucky asked, a smile on his face.

"Perfectly fine," Carter replied, and then a second later, "Hey, did you know you're starting to get a bald patch up here?"

"WHAT?" Bucky exclaimed, almost dropping Carter, "I can't be! I'm only 34!"

Carter giggled, "Sorry, I couldn't help it. You're fine. There's lots of thick brown hair up here. No scalp in sight."

"You're evil," Bucky scowled, "You know that. Evil."

Carter angled her body and pressed a kiss to the side of Bucky's head, "Nah, not evil. Just mischievous."

Bucky dug his fingers into her thighs, "Evil. Definitely evil."

"Eh, you're still going to keep me around," Carter laughed, resting her chin on top of his head.

"Oh, am I?" Bucky grinned, "And why's that?"

"Because your friends love me, or at least the ones that I've met," she said, "And I think you're cute."

"Just cute?' Bucky asked, picking up his pace so he could cross the street before the light changed.

"Cute," Carter repeated, "And funny, and adorable, and annoyingly self-deprecating, and kind of hot."

Bucky laughed, "Just kind of?"

"What is this?" Carter wondered, "A date, or a stroke James Buchanan Barnes' ego session?"

Bucky snorted, his body shaking with laughter, "I can return the favor and tell you why I'm going to keep you. Would that work?"

Carter was silent for a minute, pretending to think, "I guess so."

"You're smart," Bucky started, "Funny, patient, you love Liam and my family, because that's what they are. They're my family. You're gorgeous, cute, adorable, beautiful, and sexy. You're accepting of this," Bucky tapped against her thigh with his metal fingers, "And you're not perfect."

"Could you let me down for a second?" she asked.

"Uh…yeah," Bucky released his grip and Carter gently slid to her feet.

She moved to stand in front of him, and there was a brilliant grin on her face.

Bucky smiled back at her, "You look…"

"I know," she cut him off with a smile, "I think you just established what you think I look like. And, thank you."

She stepped closer and wound her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his in a deep kiss.

Bucky pressed his body closer to hers and splayed his hands against her back. Carter tangled her fingers with his hair. She outlined his lower lip with her tongue, and Bucky opened his mouth.

Carter smiled against Bucky's mouth when she felt his hands slide down to rest just above her butt.

Eventually they needed air, and Bucky pulled away, still holding Carter in his arms.

"For what?" he asked, a dazed look in his eyes and a goofy smile on his face.

"For saying that stuff," she replied, an equally dazed look in her eyes, "And for just being you. I've only had two other relationships before this, and um, neither one of them was really great."

Bucky pulled her into a hug, "I'll make this one different."

Carter pressed her face into Bucky's chest, "You already have."

* * *

**A/N: Yikes! 10 days since I updated this. Sorry about that guys! But I do finally have an update. This one might be a smudge shorter than last chapter, I'm not actually sure. **

**Anyway, this one is the last chapter in the first date saga. I do have plenty more to write, and I am always (seriously, ALWAYS!) open to prompts. **

**Um, not much to say about this one. I loved writing it, as usual, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it =)**

**Happy Friday!**


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